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Deities and the Strange Gods
'Deities and Strange Gods' The practice of religion on Rhun varies by region, but by and large the Gods are considered a capricious and demanding lot. The general population regards the subject of Gods a lofty and needless one, aside from the very real God-king, for whom there are numerous reasons to worship. As a result, few participate in any sort of temples or organized worship outside of the Emperor. In times of trouble, they'll mutter a prayer, but otherwise, the kind of devotion to liturgical practice is limited to the priestly caste, the rich, and fanatics. The following is a roster of the Greater Deities of Rhud. Gaster (Neutral Good) : God of fertility and family. He is depicted as a Human-looking man of middle years, lean and usually involved in gardening or sexual frivolty. He is usually accompanied by hunting dogs and imagery of fruit trees. He is worshipped predominantly in the rural regions of the Kadrak and especially in the wastes. Risa (Chaotic Neutral) : Goddes of vexation and aggravation. She is depicted as an impish crone with a wicked smile, often accompanied by minor goblins and imps. As the goddess of aggravation and nuisance, she paradoxically attracts followers among the elderly and aggrieve; those who have given up on enjoying life often turn to Risa as a haven for their frustrations. Risa has a fair following among the common folk, but few dedicated priests. Oldoa (Lawful Neutral) : Goddess of war-- one of many, but the greatest. She is depicted as a human-looking female of statuesque proportions clad in bronze armor. In addition to warfare, she favors ambition and industry. She is typically depicted is scenes of combat or instruction, often mounted on an exotic steed. She is worshipped by warriors everywhere, sometimes in addition to a lesser deity. She is favored in the Kadrak Military. Idzus (Neutral Evil) : God of shadow and secrets. He is depicted most often as an eye with a hand superimposed on the iris. His exotic nature means that his followers are few but very devoted. He has inspired a number of cults, and is worshipped by the more knowledgeable thieves. Axar (Neutral Evil) : God of avarice and ambition. Axar is depicted as a thin, young male with fashionable clothing. He is said to appear to strangers to lead them to greatness, often at the expense of everything. He is depicted often in scenes of deal-making or merry party-making. He is known to play the lute, and stories abound of travellers encountering him playing music on a moonlit night. Axar is worshipped primarily by Kadrak nobility and bon vivants. Odlen (Chaotic Evil) : God of naked aggression and expediency. Odlen is depicted as a brutish, animalistic creature-man, often in the act of feeding from the body of a man. He is favored by berserkers and those who live hand-to-mouth as a God who cares about the moment. He is a very popular deity. Nodz (Neutral) : God of mysticism and ingenuity. Nodz is depicted as a sphere, faceted with eyes. He is typically depicted in the open desert, radiating light on a sigil or sign. He is worshipped primarily in the East, or by wizards in Bouros' service. Akrod (Neutral Evil) : God of Advantage and survival of the fittest. Akrod is depicted as a burly, red man with a bushy black beard. He is typically depicted on a throne of judgment, deciding life and death for those in his thrall. The illusion of water caused by heat shimmer in the desert is sometimes called "Akrod's Test", as many a traveler has met their end from the additional exertion of rushing to get to the water that always seems several dunes away. He is worshipped by survivalists and hunters. Barat (Lawful Good) : God of Mercy and Peace. Barat is depicted as a star among waters, and is occasionally depicted in human form as a woman with strong features and flowing robes. Barat is worshipped at a cursory level by many, but has very few devoted followers and no known temples. She is as esoteric as the concept of justice, and as such has no place in people's hearts. Okkugra (Chaotic Neutral) : God of Individualism and Freedom. He is depicted as a wise man of the desert, often bound the remains of freshly-broken chains. Okkugra is popular in sparsely-settled areas, and has a number of humble temples where water is left for travellers. The following are Deific Entities of Rhud. The Dapper Men : There are a number of stories about the Dapper Men, and many are contradictory. What is known is that they have the ability to temporarily place themselves into the memories of common folk, appearing as a well-known friend for a short duratin while they meddle in the affairs of mortals. They are known to take an interest in death, and tend to appear when death is close at hand. Due to their ability to seamlessly wander into and out of peoples' lives, they are possibly much more common than is known. The Old Man of the Waste : There is an old man who is said to roam the waste and tempt those foolish enough to travel the open road. He demands food and water, and if it not provided he will strike the traveller dead with eldritch might. He will often hound travellers for weeks, singing loudly at night when they try to sleep, stealing their things, and consuming their provisions. He is credited with the death of many travellers, and the madness of many others. Some believe he is real, others do not, but he haunts the dreams of many children throughout the wastes and into the Kadrak. The Alabasthir Rat-Man : Cautionary stories abound in the city of Alabasthir of the Rat-Man who roams the catacombs and the surrounding desert at night, demanding tithe of its inhabitants and visitors. According to these stories, he is a black-furred, nocturnal rat nearly the size of a man, with razor-sharp claws and a long, whip-like tail. When the Rat-Man gets hungry (typically during the lean winter months), he will seek out the food stores of someone in or around Alabasthir. If they have left an appropriate offering in a prominent place (generally a portion of choice food), the Rat-Man will consume the food and leave in peace. However, if the offering is not good enough or there is no apparent offering, the Rat-Man will raid their food stores, sometimes taking or destroying weeks' worth of food, and leaving a trail of food bits out into the city ruins or the desert where it risks attracting the attention of a nocturnal Great Lizard or Giant Insect. The Following are Mythological Beings of Rhud. The Sky Men : Known only by their remains, the sky men are said to live above the clouds in vast cities on the moons. Indeed, every time one of the moons emits a flash or exhibits a strange color, it is attributed by fools and children to the Sky Men. Learned men know that the Moons have volcanoes and flash fires much as Rhud; if people live there, they are just as bound to the moons as the men of Rhud are to their world. A particularly astute astrologist, using arcane measurements and looking-glasses, has determined that the nearest moon is well over a hundred thousand miles away, an insurmountable gulf. Still, strange corpses turn up from time to time, some with arcane metal objects and odd woven clothing. They could be men from unknown lands, perhaps the east. Palestriders : These creatures have only been spotted in the deepest parts of the Waien, in the glass-lands called Shad Daro. They are primarily white, though their joints are black. Very little is known about them, as they always keep their distance, and the ambient lethality of glass-lands is such that nobody has ever had a chance to observe them for long. Dragons : While flying lizards are commonly known of, true Dragons are a thing of legend. Supposedly, they can breathe fire and ice, and grow large enough to topple a house with a slap of their tail. They are reportedly wise and magical, and though no one has ever seen one, the tales from various lands are remarkably consistent as to their features and habits. Category:Setting